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<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><b>MSNBC.com</b></font></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="head"><hr>Neighborhoods may impact male depression </div><div class="abstract">Men who live in walkable areas have fewer symptoms, study says
</div><div><div class="source">Reuters</div><div class="updateTime"><div id="udtD">Updated: 4:09 p.m. ET May 3, 2007<br><br><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18474041/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18474041/</a><br></div>
</div></div><p class="textBodyBlack">NEW YORK - Living in a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood may help shield older men from depression, a new study suggests.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">Researchers
found that among 740 older adults living in the Seattle area, men who
lived in more walkable neighborhoods tended to show fewer depression
symptoms than men from less walker-friendly areas.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">The
findings, published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, are
in line with research suggesting that moderate exercise can help battle
depression. However, the link between neighborhood "walkability" and
lower depression risk was not fully explained by higher exercise levels.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">"That
tells us that there's something else about the neighborhood itself,"
said lead study author Dr. Ethan M. Berke, of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">One
possibility is that these neighborhoods allow older adults to feel more
connected to their communities and less socially isolated, Berke told
Reuters Health.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">Walkable neighborhoods have
sidewalks, streets with safe intersections, and stores, restaurants and
other destinations within a short distance. In their study, Berke and
his colleagues found that men who lived in such areas had lower scores
on a standard measure of depression — even with other factors, like
overall health, income and exercise habits, taken into account.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">The same was not true of women, but the reason for this is not clear.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">Men
are less likely than women to seek care for depression symptoms, which
may leave them more vulnerable to environmental factors that worsen
depression. Women may also have other forms of social support that
buffer them from the effects of living in a less-walkable neighborhood.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">The
study findings do not prove that a person's neighborhood changes his
depression risk, Berke pointed out. But if pedestrian-friendly
neighborhoods do offer depression protection, that would be important
for older adults who are deciding where to live after they retire, he
said. It could also mean that more senior centers and assisted living
facilities should be built in walkable neighborhoods.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">Suburban
sprawl is often seen as an environmental issue, Berke noted, but recent
studies are pointing to possible effects on people's health as well.
Some research has linked suburban living, with its reliance on cars
and, often, lack of sidewalks, to a higher risk of obesity.</p><p class="textBodyBlack">"Hopefully," Berke said, "we'll start looking at neighborhood design as a public health issue."</p><div class="copyright">Copyright
2007 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the
prior written consent of Reuters.</div><p>URL: <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18474041/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18474041/</a></p><hr><div class="footerCredit"><div class="msnFooterLink"><a href="http://beta.mobile.msn.com/device/en-us/privacy.aspx">
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